Truck drivers play an important role in the economy and it is not like just anyone can drive safely and economically.

Two things occurred recently that have made me a little angry: The Department of Labor study that said there is no driver shortage and the when I hear people talk about one of the benefits of autonomous being they do not need drivers. Both of those things seem to demean the value of the human being that is behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle. And both those things imply that over-the-road driving is simple and boring.

Truck drivers play an important role in the economy and it is not like just anyone can drive safely and economically. Drivers have to train and be certified and licensed. Heck, we don’t even let people under the age of 21 drive a truck across state lines. There are a number of drivers out there that have been honored for driving a million accident-free miles. Think about that. How skilled do you have to be to drive a big rig one million miles and never have an accident? I’d say the answer is obvious.

The reality is that even as we move down the road toward more automated trucks, we will need truck drivers for a very long time.  And those drivers are key to maximizing the benefits of the automation technology such as advanced cruise control, automated powertrains, safety technologies and on and on.

But good drivers aren’t just safe drivers. They also are fuel-efficient drivers. We know that even with all the driver-assist systems on today’s trucks, a driver can influence fuel economy by as much as 30%.